SOHH SOULFUL
Your daily guide to hip-hop soul
Are Michelle Williams & Cherish SOHH Underrated??? + New Soulful Mix
Posted on May 9, 2008 10:00 AM
I know I have some serious Michelle Williams fans up in here -- but I'll admit, I have a hard time giving homegirl her props -- she's just not my fave singer. But my homie Sam from ThatGrapeJuice.net recently posted a great interview with her and I wanted to share a few excerpts with you guys and discuss whether or not Ms. Williams is a seriously underrated talent.
Here's what she had to say on the constant comparisons to Beyonce and Kelly:
"We all have our own style and our own taste in music and how we want to express that; and people need to respect that. I may just want to express my music standing in front of a microphone. Beyonce, on the other hand, she likes to come in upside down (in reference to Beyonce’s 2003 MTV VMA performance). I mean, who knows, I might get the chance to get on a trapeze and spring across Radio City Music Hall. We like to express ourselves differently. I will never be Beyonce Knowles, Beyonce Knowles will never be Michelle Williams, Kelendria Rowland will never be Michelle Williams and I will never be Kelly. I’m Michelle Williams, my mama calls me T; I’m gonna be me. What some people fail to see is that, as three ladies coming out of such amazing group success, we are all (continuing to be) successful in our solo endeavours. Before now, that was unheard of. With every group, there’s no reason why each member can’t be out there doing their own thing."
And her response to critics and naysayers who are talkin stuff about her coming out with a pop/r&b album after two gospel releases:
"Screw the naysayers. The critics, that’s cool. Naysayers, I can’t get with, because everybody is going to do something you don’t agree with. If I had to worry about what everybody didn’t agree with, I wouldn’t be doing nothing right now, you wouldn’t be doing nothing right now. I mean I love all types of music. Before my Gospel albums, I was an R&B artist. I never proclaimed to be a Gospel artist. There are so many people that were before me, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and even my favourite singer of all-time Whitney Houston, they’ve all done Gospel. Yet they all maintained being an R&B artist. Now, it seems like after me, everybody’s doing a Gospel album, which is great, it’s cool - do your thing. I love all types of music and I don’t want to be pigeon-holed. Me doing this music, I know what I’m doing; and if anything that I do takes me away from God, I won’t do it. Scripture says ‘Let nothing separate you from the love of God’…"
Michelle Williams "Stop This Car"
Kel- oops I mean Michelle's new album Unexpected hits stores August 12th and the video for her first single "We Break The Dawn" should be out next week -- May 12th!
Click here to check out the full interview!
Cherish "Amnesia"
I also wanted to talk about sister act Cherish, whose album The Truth drops next Tuesday May 13th. I recently had the opportunity to talk to Cherish members Felisha and Fallon who told me the group wrote all the songs on their first album as well as this album (with the exception of two songs which The-Dream penned). I really loved the girls when they first came out with "Do It To It" but lately I feel like I see them doing a lot of promoting with very little result -- it doesn't seem like their new singles have taken off as well and I hate to say it but the sister thing may be working against them in some respects. With very similar looks and names all starting with F I have to say I cannot tell them apart. Can you?
Here's what they had to say about being sisters:
"A lot of people don’t know we’re all sisters. Being sisters is a hard task but it’s easy at the same time, that’s one thing that’s not gonna change, we never step on each others toes because we know what makes each other mad..."
Some comments on their music:
"I would definitely say we’re being true to ourselves because we write all of our music, we’re definitely bringing back real R&B. Amnesia is a real soulful song – it’s not like all these gimmicky records. God blessed us with this gift of music and we’re not in it for the money or the power. We love to do what we do. We’ve been in the industry for a long time and we’re finally where we want to be. We definitely want our fans to know we’re just like them, everyday females going through life."
They are some sweet girls -- I wish them the best. For more on Cherish checkout www.myspace.com/cherishsisters
This week's Soulful Mix comes from DJ Ohsokool www.myspace.com/sugatreats
Tracklist
1.steph jones - mr ordinary
2.musiq soulchild - betterman
3.algebra - my pride
4.case - missing you
5.jaheim - what you think of that
6.keyshia cole ft anthony hamilton - losing you
7.muhsinah & jake one - you
download here: http://www.zshare.net/audio/117543124f5ab824/
Have a great weekend! Hit me at sohh.soulrebel@gmail.com with music, post requests etc...
Comments
I love We Break The Dawn, and I hope that Michelle has a lot of success with this album.
As for Cherish, I've always felt they were underrated... Unappreciated was my jam.
soulrebel, I have to giv u props once again for having muhsinah in the mix, her album is crazy!
_________
Im probably getting the michelle album... shes coming with something "unexpected", pun intended... umm cherish needs something, they arent really making "great" r & b and they remind me of little girls, when they are actually in their 20's... sure, they can sing but they most definitely need to up the ante...
Soul rebel to understand all the hype about Michelle Williams all you need to do is watch this video in full (especially the last quarter): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpkvSCUD4tE
"I would definitely say we’re being true to ourselves because we write all of our music, we’re definitely bringing back real R&B"
alrightry...
Sup Adrian, I agree with you I can't get with Cherish they don't really stand out and I can never tell who is singing what. They all just blend in together with nothing distinctive about there voices. As far as Michelle goes. I just don't see nothing special about her or her voice. She was always just there in Destiny's Child she never stood out. Now all of a sudden she gets a new look and now everyone is like "Oh shit she about to bring it" Nah just wait and see with this one. I am not wishing anyone bad luck but with the way the music biz is selling and also with you know who as her manager, she is gonna need alot of help and also to not speak about Beyonce' in every interview. That was the problem with Kelly and I love kelly but she is always Beyonce's lil' cheerleader. She has to be her own cheerleader and at the end of the day "All You Got is You"
I believe your right, both are great acts but haven't received the proper promotion or love. by the way check out this new music blog: http://djtriumph.blogspot.com
Scooby I agree with you 100% Cherish isnt bringing r&b back and is it me or their new single sounds a bit like NSYNC "Gone"? And their video is black and white. They all do look the same and their songs arent wow to me. As far as Michelle goes i think she has an incredible personality and i think she needs to get a reality show cause the girl is hilarious but as far as music goes im still iffy i love her gospel albums and when I saw her live with DC she did the damn thing so i wish her much success but like someone said the music industry is fucked up right now and its hard to get people to go out buy your album she needs a gimic.
You can tell when someone doesn't know much about what they're talking about.... Michelle doesn't kiss Beyonce's ass like Kelly. Any interview you read about her, they always stick to Michelle with only comments about DC. Kelly gets questions about Beyonce and she goes out of her way to shout Beyonce out. Not Michelle so please talk about what you know. Michelle does stand out, her voice is nothing like the others so people know exactly who she is when they hear her voice. Just because you don't like her don't mean she ain't shit. Go Michelle, you don't gotta be a superstar just put out good music. People too caught up in sales, I see why Janet is flopping.
real r&b aint never coming back, its dead like real hip-hop
http://www.myspace.com/jdubbthayounghectic
@PLAYBOY If Michelle's voice is so specatacular she would have blow up. I am not crazy about her voice (that is my opinion) I am just saying that don't rush her to be the next big thing when the music biz is in really bad shape. Also like Tish was saying she needs a gimmick. I am not caught up in sales and who goes platinum or better yet these days who goes gold! For me album sales don't mean you are better than someone else. I love Janet's new cd and unfortunately things are not doing to good but that doesn't diminish the fact that it is a banging ass cd just because she ain't platinum. But this is not about her. I was jut saying that I am not feeling Michelle and am not WOW'd by her new material. But I wish her luck. Hell I wish all the underrated artist struggling these days. Amerie,Shancice,Syleena Johnson, Kelis,Tank,Carl Thomas and Kelly Rowland
Thats good and all Scooby but her voice doesn't have to be anything spectacular to stand out. She has a raspy voice while the other 2 don't so of course you gon know who she is. People confuse Kelly & Beyonce but never confuse them with Michelle. Nobody said she had to be the next big thing, obviously she's just happy putting out music and having a solo career out of group. Where's Chilli's career? T Boz's career? Dawn Robinson's career? They don't have one while Michelle is sitting back doing Broadway plays and co-owner of WNBA Chicago Sky.... she's making her money and living her dream. Maybe only Beyonce wants to be a huge diva. People need to chill with all that. You don't like Michelle so why are you even checking for her?? Thats like me checking for Ashitti when I know I can't stand the bitch. Stay focus on Janet because she DESPERATELY needs all the help she can get. 2 months later and she still NOT gold. Michelle flopping because she a new artist is better than Janet flopping after all her success. Looks like the problem wasn't Virgin at all.
Comments written above do not represent the views or opinions of SOHH.com, 4CONTROL Media, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Comments may be deleted at our sole discretion.